Tender, Tents and Tolerating!

It is not often whee are sharing. In fact Mummy has believed for a very long time that Nibbles merely tolerates me but you may have noticed in the last post whee like to cuddle up together sometimes. This is a source of great amusement to the hoomans who claim to remember the first few wheeks I was part of the family and how Nibbles looked like a new mother or father who could not get the baby to sleep through the night. I was young and rather hyperactive! However they also nicknamed me Mojo for a little while because Nibbles was very sad over the loss of his friend Nugget and I brought back his zest for life.

The bond whee share is more that of Father and Son rather than brothers as Nibbles and Nugget were. He berates me if I am naughty and keep him awake with antics. I keep him young by chasing and playing games with him. I get so enthusiastic about veggie time that he has no choice but to be excited too.

As he has gotten older, he sometimes forgets to eat and drink and is a little doddery but I make sure he moves around and does things. In return when I was ill he sat at my side and nudged me over to the food bowl at breakfast time. Whee particularly love to share our blue tent and doze in it on warm days in the garden:

It must be love!

Some say animals do not love or do not understand hooman concepts of love. But if whee were purely instinct driven animals why would whee take care of the weak ones in our herd and mourn losses so deeply that whee nearly give up living ourselves? Sometimes with our basic right and wrong morals and consideration for one another, Mummy thinks whee show more humanity than some hoomans she knows.

Who are you closest to? Is it another animal or a hooman? And hoomans, do you believe that animals ‘love’?

Anyone who would say animals don’t love can’t honestly understand love at all. We’ve know the love of many pets, but especially Buddy our last dog. He was so happy to see us come home everyday. Also, my own dog Jasper helped me thru a bad time. I swear he knew what tears were and always came over for a snuggle when I needed one. Animals know love and show love unconditionally.

If you delightful boys were in my herd you would know that “herd” is the word. People think guinea pigs are like rabbits, but actually you are a LOT like horses. I have a hospice volunteer program (as does my sister with her pigs) where old pigs get young piggy friends about every three years. I have seen pigs love each other better than some people I’ve met in my life.

Annie (and her magical butt that apparently has a baby guinea conga drum rehearsal going on most of the time) told me to remind you to please send all your food. She also wants you to send the tent because she’s almost too big to fit in her pigloo. You can ignore her, she’s having a rough week.

You’re telling me!!! They have no place else to go and are making my poor little girl pretty miserable in 90°F heat to boot. First time mamas almost always go at night though.

We have no safe place for floor time. The Wigglewhiskers clan are high-rise piggies and live with me on top of a bunk bed presently (I don’t roll much in my sleep, it’s cozy but we manage).

Can you imagine being a piggy who doesn’t know it isn’t normal to live next to your hooman and your whole family?

They need to get born soon though, because I need to send the whole family on vacation to my sister’s house starting this weekend because we are going to be fumigated. She has piggies too, including Wentworth’s daddy, Watson…aaaaaaaand my baby niece Eliza. Eliza is a very curious tiny hooman (3½ months old) and I can’t wait to see what she thinks of baby pigs. She likes big pigs.

If my people had any doubt about the way animals love each other when Zac died I showed them clearly.
I literally cried for days and couldn’t keep living alone. I know that that sounds dramatic but it’s just the way it is. Anyone who says that animals don’t love each other or don’t feel grief are wrong.

Very true. Whee know of some animals who gave up living because they were so griefstricken and even a new friend couldn’t drag them out of their depression. It is very sad and Mummy says, heartbreaking to watch.

Sammy & I are inseparable. We insist on sharing everything: one bed (even though we were each given one as pups), one hoof or hide (even though mom gives us each one), when I drink…Sammy will come drink too & vice versa and even our food, Sammy wolfs his down and then will come steal a bit or 2 of mine, which I don’t mind.
Mom definitely believes that animals can and do love.
Wally & Sammy

You guys look quite companionable and cozy in your blue tent……and I TOTALLY agree with your Mummy. Animals absolutely do love – I love my Mom like crazy and I’m closest to her although I do love my Dad as well. It’s her I follow around, try to impress with my tricks, want to be with when I nap, look to for filling my food bowl and treats…..she’s my everything. I think you and Nibbles have a very special relationship and yes indeed that’s love.